RBC06.50 - Marcella, Vampire Mage (15 page)

“Now for the reason you have been summoned here.” He paused and then continued. “I, as High Regent of all the clans, have served you now these one hundred years; and I hope you think I served you well. But, it is now time for new leadership”, he held his hand up against the outcry from the chamber, “and as soon as we vote here today, I will step down as High Regent and we will install your newly elected leader. I nominate Baron Von Dracek as my replacement.”

“I second that nomination,” shouted Philepe.

Then Count Marcus Devorak of Romania shouted, “I nominate Damien Daminov.”

“I second that nomination,” cried out his son, Demitrie.

“Are there other nominations?” He paused. “If we have no other nominations we will now vote.”

One by one the crowd filed up and cast their votes silently, even somberly, until everyone had voted.

“The Council will now tally the votes. We will recess and meet back here in two hours,” said the High Regent. He then rose and made his way from the chamber,

The room emptied, most people went to the dining hall or back to their rooms. I, however, needed to talk to Gunter. I knew he would be watching my father’s back, so I asked Thomas to go with me to relieve him, while we talked. I needed an update on everything. Quinn had told Thomas and Simon the details of everything that had happened up until the Council meeting and had a courier sent home so Avery, Gregor, and Cedrik would be arriving in the next day or two.

“Any news on the whereabouts of the girls?” I asked Gunter.

“Vampire trackers have been sent out but have not returned yet. If you are up to it, Katrina I would like you to use your gift to try to find them.”

“Of course. I’ll do so as soon as the results of this election are in. We should also be watching Luena; she has at much at stake as Damien.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard since they are almost inseparable anyway.”

Katrina, Quinn informed me about his involvement with you. These things happen when you’re young and together as much as you two have been; but as you found out, he can’t protect you and you won’t be able to protect yourself if you are distracted. Assigning a new watcher for you is for the best.”

“I know, and that’s why we told you. When we realized that Damien was able to sneak up on us, it startled both of us. But Gunter, that doesn’t mean we’ll be apart forever. As for the present, what do you think of my plan to get close to Damien?”

“It’s very dangerous, but you’re right, I’ve seen how he looks at you. Using his lust for you may be our only way to find out what he’s up to and find the girls. If he lets his guard down we just might be able to stop him before he starts a war.”

“Luena might be a problem. If looks could kill I would have been dead at the ball. Her possessiveness of Damien is a little —no, a lot—creepy.”

“I’ve placed Thomas as your Watcher, he along with Simon, will be guarding you day and night. We will make it known that Quinn has been reassigned and his other brothers will be arriving soon. He’ll the get a regular Von Dracek guard uniform and be keeping an eye on Damien, Luena, and their Watchers. The girls’ fathers have each provided extra Watchers to help him.”

“If we’re lucky, Damien will try to comfort me. Father is sure to win the election, and I’ll be ever so sympathetic about his losing.”

As I headed back around the front of the Council room, Damien stormed out through the side door. He seemed full of anger.

“Damien, what’s wrong?”

“Congratulations are in order, my Lady. Your father will be the new High Regent.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Damien. I know you would have been a wonderful leader.”

His face softened upon hearing these words.

“I had no idea you regarded me so highly, my Lady.”

“Katrina. Please call me Katrina.”

“What of your Watcher? The feelings you have for him are not safe for you, you know.”

“He’s been reassigned; alas our closeness was not to be. He remains my friend, for we grew up together, but we cannot be more than friends. It’s for the best; such closeness is forbidden for a reason.”

Insincere, yes, but necessary, I thought.

I tilted my head, smiled, and gave Damien a sweet look. “If it were not so dangerous I would love to take a ride with you, to cheer you up.”

This prospect made him stand up tall and give me a puzzled look.

“Maybe I can arrange something later. I’m sure now you’ll want to see your father’s appointment as our new leader.”

“Damien, I wish you would be my escort. It would be comforting to me and a nice show of support for my father’s election. The gesture would demonstrate that you bear no hard feelings.”

“Of course, Katrina. Shall we?” He offered his arm and led us into the Council room, our entrance inciting murmurs from the crowd now reassembled.

I was so proud of my father; he would be a great leader. As he was receiving his new adornment and seal, I whispered to Damien. “This will give us more time to get to know each other, because my father and I will have to stay longer to complete all our duties.”

I didn’t look at him but he squeezed my hand. “Indeed,” he replied.

The ceremony installing my father as High Regent was followed by a dinner in the great hall. The celebration was subdued because abductions of three of the Council members’ daughters, especially when the trackers returned, and reported they had lost the abductor’s trail along the river to the west.

Father thanked Damien for his graciousness and excused himself to attend the matters at hand. “All this violence makes everyone so uneasy, no one will relax, least of all me, until the girls are found safely,” he said, and then he left us.

“Let us take a walk in the gardens,” Damien suggested. “It will do us good to rest our minds from the troubles of the day.”

“I’d love to,” I answered with a smile. “Thank you Damien for escorting me to the installation ceremony, even though you were disappointed about the election.”

“It was my pleasure, Katrina. Your company helped to lighten my mood. Indeed your friendship fills me with thoughts of a new future; one that I hope will include a lot more of you. I . . ”

“
There
you are, Damien,” Luena broke in, possessively taking Damien’s arm.

“Hello, Luena. How nice to see you again,” I greeted her.

“May I speak with you please, Damien?” she said without even acknowledging me.

“Will you please excuse me, Katrina?”

“Of course.”

The brother and sister walked away, either unaware of or forgetting my highly developed sense of hearing.

“Younger brother,” Luena said, “have you lost your mind? Whatever are you doing with her? We are wasting time. If we are to take power we need to act soon, before the Council disbands until fall. The families will be heading home soon and they will be vulnerable.”

“An alliance with Lady Von Dracek could be very advantageous, Luena. There may be more than one way into power.”

He turned to me and smiled. Over his shoulder I saw Luena’s face darken, and her eyes narrow.

I smiled back at them both and then looked away like a shy schoolgirl. “
Let them think I have succumbed
to his charms
,” I thought. “
He’s so pompous, but also very handsome.”

His shoulder-length brown hair was combed back and tied behind his neck, and those dark eyes—yes very handsome. I found despite my misgivings, I was strangely drawn to him. Then I asked myself, “
How far are you willing to go to trap him?”

And, Luena, she was not going to be so easy to win over.

“I’m sorry for the interruption,” said Damien as he rejoined me.

“Shall we continue our walk, or must you leave with your sister?”

“I wouldn’t think of leaving you.”

I could see a guard in the background, and I was sure it must be Quinn, which meant that Thomas was nearby also. Damien’s Watcher was somewhere I supposed, so it wasn’t as if we were really alone. We sat in the garden for over an hour speaking of our childhoods, training, and why he and sister were so close.

“I was so young when my mother disappeared, that Luena became like a mother to me. No one ever talks about my mother or Luena’s for that matter. At least Father’s current wife is agreeable and she makes him very happy. Now that he won’t be burdened with ruling, they can be together more and travel.”

“Why did you want to rule, Damien?”

“I’ve had enough politics for one day,” he responded. “I’d rather talk more about you.”

He seemed at ease with me and me with him. I had my guard up, but he seemed quite different from the dark and angry man I’d seen earlier.

After several hours of relaxed and interesting conversation, I rose and said at last, “Well, I’d better be getting back. I promised Father I’d stay with him until we find the girls, so I must be going, Will you walk me there?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

He rose and he took my hands in his. I turned to look up into his eyes.

“We could just run off together, we’re faster than our keepers,” he said with a wink.

We laughed, but I couldn’t help thinking he was at least partly serious. Then he surprised me. He bent down and whispered in my ear, “You could save me, Katrina.”

When he straightened up I heard myself say, “If I can, I will.”

“Did I just say that out loud?”
I thought to myself?
“It was my voice, but did I mean it?”

He put my arm into his and we walked on.

“Goodnight, Damien, and thank you again,” I said as we arrived.

He bowed and kissed my hand.

“Goodnight, Katrina.”

I watched him walk away for a moment.
“How strange,”
I thought.
“He’s either really good or not at all who I thought he was.”

Thomas was at my side in an instant.

“I’ll change,” I told him. “Check the perimeter, and I’ll meet you at the back terrace.”

I rushed to get my dress off and don my hunting attire. If someone should see us, we could say I was going to hunt when, in fact, we would be looking for the girls. On the terrace, Simon had joined Thomas, Quinn and the guard.

“The trackers lost the trail at the river, so we’ll start there.” The men nodded in agreement with me

We started out on foot, since leaving the compound on horseback would draw to much attention. When we reached the river, I stopped in order to search with all my senses, starting with scent. I closed my eyes. Women, especially young women, have distinctive scents; their hormones cause the release of distinctive pheromones. I took in a deep breath; the breeze was freshening from the south. I could detect deer, fox, many small animals, and something else.

“A fledgling,” I said pointing in the direction of that scent. “At least one and he’s traveling fast. Let’s go.”

I could travel much faster on my own, but I needed the Watchers; so I decided that unless the fledgling was about to escape, we would stay together. When we got close enough, we spread out, making sure we didn’t alert the young vampire. Checking the sounds and smells again, I could detect more of them than just the one that we were following. We were getting close.

“We should keep going, but slowly. There are more of them up ahead,” I told Thomas as he came up behind me.

About fifty yards ahead we saw the remnants of an old fortress with a tall crumbling wall. On its top we detected two sentries. Our subject quickly made his way along the wall and disappeared around its side.

“It looks like we found the fledgling hiding place, but can you sense the girls?” Thomas asked me.

I tried again to pick up their scent but found nothing.

“I see fledglings and…humans, four or five men, but not the girls.”

“Let’s follow our friend around the wall.” Simon looking to the group motioned for us to join him.

As we cautiously rounded corner, we saw that there were no buildings behind the wall; but instead there was in the hillside at the back of the fortress’s perimeter with a large cave-like opening. Since the fledgling we tracked was nowhere to be seen, it was obvious the opening led to what was either their quarters, or at least a meeting place.

We observed for an hour or so, but no one entered or came out.

“We must get inside,” I insisted.

“No, it’s too dangerous. We were told to scout, nothing more,” Thomas strongly reminded us.

“But we have to know what we’re up against. Don’t worry. I’m fast, and they won’t see me. Remember, fledglings don’t have gifts. I can sense them and I can see in the dark.”

I could see from Thomas’s ridged demeanor that my pleading was getting nowhere.

“Kat, if they are alerted, we won’t get a second chance. We must report back to your father.”

“All right, Thomas, let’s go back.”

We arrived just as Father was finally returning from his meetings with the Council.

“Katrina, did you see any sign of the girls?”

“No Father, but we found where the fledglings are holed up. Across the river, south about three miles, there’s an old fortress wall hiding an opening to some sort of cave. I sensed at least fifteen fledglings and about five human men.”